01238nam a2200133   450000100060000010000410000610100080004720001050005533008000016046101050096060600110106570000180107685200100109414895  a20010326u           y0pory50      ba  apor  aSpontaneous activation of schemata under stressegetting control over eathquake threatfLuísa Lima  aBeliefs of personal control over uncontrollable events have often been found to be related to a sense of well being (Taylor & Brown, 1988). In this paper we argue that, under threat and when personal control is impossible, subjects will automatically activate other types of control beliefs (secondary control beliefs) to cope with the threat. In three studies, earthquake threat and the feeling of personal uncontrollability were made salient in the experimental condition, and the RT to secondary-related control words were assessed. Results show that two types of secondary control beliefs were activated under threat: religious control and political control. This result shows that these more social types of beliefs are used to cope with threat when more personal beliefs are not available.  vV.11,n.2-3d1996pp.159-168tPsicologia - Revista da Associação Portuguesa de PsicologiacLisboa  aSTRESS  aLIMAbLuísa  jP.103